By Nicholas DeSouza | CHA
The past fifty years have been nothing short of a whirlwind of changes, with the world evolving in ways once unimaginable. Social movements have reshaped cultural norms, environmental changes have pushed sustainability to the forefront of global discourse, and smartphones and tablets once considered science fiction have now become integral in our daily lives.
In a half-century, not only has the world changed, but it has also been remade at a remarkable pace. Despite the constant evolutions in all aspects of life, there has been one constant at Cambridge Housing Authority, and that constant is Commissioner Gerard J. Clark.
Commissioner Clark started his professional journey in his home state of New Jersey as an undergraduate student at Seton Hall University. Originally, he joined the school’s program to become a Catholic priest. After two years, he decided that this vocation was not for him, but the desire to help others, especially those who are underrepresented due to their social economic struggles still lived inside him. After finishing his four-year degree at Seton Hall, Clark began to pursue a Law Degree from Columbia University.
Resting in the Morningside Heights neighborhood between Harlem and the Upper West Side of New York City, there was strife among the student body. Student-led demonstrations erupted in response to Columbia’s decision to expand its campus into Harlem. Students along with residents feared that the expansion would displace Black and working-class communities. The protests were also fueled by the university’s ties to the Vietnam War, particularly with the military-industrial complex through research programs. Students began to occupy campus buildings, and the administration responded with force, leading to clashes between local law enforcement and protesters. The Columbia Protests of 1968 mirrored a broader wave of activism in the 1960s, sweeping the nation during an era of social and political turbulence.
The protests resonated with Clark, which further stoked his passion for helping others. Rather than being a big-shot corporate lawyer, Clark wanted to roll up his sleeves to use his knowledge and skills to help those who need the help most need.
After graduating, Clark returned to New Jersey and accepted his first job as a lawyer for the Newark Law Reform Project. This organization comprised of seven young like-minded lawyers, allowed Clark to flourish in his mission to help marginalized communities, specifically, but not limited to, people of color and their housing issues.
The group took tenant rights cases against landlords, but also got involved in class action suits involving up to 4,000 people. At that time, the Newark Housing Authority was in shambles. They had twelve-story high-rise apartment buildings that often had no heat or working elevators. Residents turned to the Newark Law Reform Project for assistance against the deplorable conditions of their units.
Led by Commissioner Clark and two other colleagues, the tenants went up against the Newark Housing Authority in court. Tenants held a rent strike for nine months, which led to the involvement of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). At the court hearing tenants and community activists packed the court, and the judge had no choice but to order management to respond to the complaints from tenants.
Commissioner Clark also brought the New Jersey Welfare Rights versus Cahill case to the U.S. Supreme Court and eventually won. The court ruled that a state statute discriminated against unmarried couples and their children, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
For over five years, Clark represented black organizations in the creation of training programs that led to the integration of all of the skilled trade unions in Newark, which previously were 100% white. Clark successfully negotiated affirmative action plans for construction projects such as the Rutgers Medical School and the Newark Airport.
Another major feat for Clark was the integration of Unions in Newark. To work in the unions someone would need a special license, but the unions consisted of 100% white males and would deny people of color the ability to work. Clark not only successfully helped integrate the union, but there was a trade school that was established to help provide the skills for folks who wanted to join the union. Clark was also called back to help negotiate union projects at the Rutgers Medical School and Newark Airport to ensure that there was equal opportunity for people of color to work on the project.
The New Jersey-born Clark left home and relocated to the Boston area in 1973 to support his wife Judy’s pursuit of a degree from a school in the Boston area. Clark sought to continue his passion of working with those who were underrepresented and was directed to the Citizens Housing and Planning Association (CHAPA). At this time, CHAPA was the most active organization in the area and was embarking on a mission to bolster public housing in both Boston and Cambridge.
During this period, the Cambridge Housing Authority was facing institutional instability and turmoil. A recent change in tenant regulations at the state caused a fractured relationship between the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Cambridge Housing Authority due to CHA’s disinclination in signing to adhere by the regulation changes. This caused the state to cut back on funding for CHA projects.
With the properties in dire need of restoration, and the CHA’s struggles due to a lack of funding, Cambridge City Manager James Sullivan, with the help of CHAPA formed a committee to revitalize Cambridge Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners. Clark was selected to preside on the board to interview candidates. After countless interviews, a fellow member of the committee inquired about Mr. Clark’s willingness to join the board, and Gerry agreed to join. After interviewing with the City Manager, Clark was sworn as a commissioner in 1974. Although Commissioner Clark did not know much about the political landscape of Cambridge, he had a great understanding of how HUD worked based on his prior interactions back in New Jersey.
The newly revitalized board hit the ground running. Fairly quickly, the board recognized the need to restructure the agency to improve its lack of clear leadership. Residents and employees would attend board meetings, and it was widely known that if you wanted something to get done, you could go directly to the board. The board was heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of the agency. To try to streamline communication, the board appointed a new Executive Director to report to the board and take on the daily operations of the agency.
By the mid-1970s, the CHA had completed eight new buildings, leading the board began to focus on the revitalization of CHA properties that had been built 30 to 40 years prior. Three of the largest family developments in Cambridge were facing unlivable conditions, leaving many vacancies.
Clark also joined efforts to improve and modernize Boston Public Housing. In the late seventies and early eighties, Clark represented the Boston Public Housing (BHA)Tenants’ Policy Council in a case before the Massachusetts Superior Court. The judge sided with the tenants and placed the BHA in temporary receivership to remedy widespread violations of the State Sanitary Code and to generally improve living conditions at its properties.
Modernization efforts became the core of the Cambridge Housing Authority’s reputation nationally, and the Board of Commissioners had become a textbook example of efficiency. Former Commissioner Jim Stockard, along with Commissioner Clark, taught a Commissioner Education course for 10 years at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, for new Public Housing Commissioners across the state.
Fifty years after his first swearing-in at Cambridge City Hall, Mr. Clark decided it was time to take a step back and spend more time with his family. For half a century, Clark cites that in addition to the residents, the exceptional employees of the Cambridge Housing Authority kept him motivated to continue the work he loves. Over the decades, he has spent time each week in the Cambridge Housing Authority central office presiding over tenant hearings and working with staff on various policies and initiatives.
Over his tenure, he had the opportunity to work with four Executive Directors who would travel around the city with him to meet with residents. Their collective dedication to those who they serve has led to lifelong friendships.
In ten consecutive terms as a CHA Commissioner and participating in over nine hundred meetings, there were few issues that Commissioner Clark did not conquer. When asked to describe his fifty years with the Cambridge Housing Authority in one word, his response is, “Helpful.” His love for Affordable Housing is rooted in the human element of each tenant’s story. Mr. Clark has personally touched the lives of thousands of families and his unwavering commitment to the Cambridge Housing Authority has vastly changed the public housing landscape nationwide.
The Cambridge Housing Authority would like to congratulate Commissioner Clark on his well-deserved retirement, and cannot thank him enough for all he has contributed to residents, staff, and the entire Cambridge Community.
